Philadelphia�s Cradle of Liberty
Boy Scout Council self-destructed last week. Its executive board
voted unanimously to include "sexual orientation" in its nondiscrimination
code. The outrageous move came after years of intense pressure from
radical homosexual and atheist rights groups in the area and nationwide.

The Philadelphia Council is the
third largest local council in the country, serving 87,000 boys
and men. It is an unfortunate addition to a list of councils that
have eagerly given the finger to the Boy Scouts of America and its
associated moral codes. Last year, San Francisco and Boston became
the first branches to reject the concept of �moral straightness.�

We must be reminded that the
Boy Scouts are not an intolerant, homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic
bunch. In fact, the Boy Scouts have always taught tolerance and
have been at the forefront of celebrating diversity. Since 1911,
the BSA has reached out to disabled youth, racial and ethnic minorities,
Native Americans, and inner city children.

And Scouting has also taught
the difference between right and wrong, between honor and indecency,
between justice and perversity.

When it comes to a Scout troop,
sexual orientation is an issue that goes beyond differences in skin
color or economic status. It affects such matters as tenting arrangements
and the development of pre-teenage masculinity in a close-knit group
of boys and men. But the BSA�s position against homosexuality is
not just an issue of moral principle in an effort to affirm the
Scout Oath and Law, it is a serious safety effort to prevent cases
of sexual abuse and harassment.

To the vast majority of Americans
who understand the importance of Scouting in every community across
the nation, preserving the traditional moral code of Scouting is
a no-brainer. It is time for families in Philadelphia to show that
they oppose the leadership of their local council by leaving the
organization.

Furthermore, the BSA national
office must entirely disconnect itself from the Philadelphia, Boston,
and San Francisco Councils. And Boy Scout councils around the country
must take notice that their entire mission is staked upon the moral
character of the boys and men involved, and that if they sever those
core principles from the program they will destroy the entirety
of Scouting.

The pressures from the radical
Left must be dealt with as well. As the Left has opened fire on
the Scouts, the reaction of Americans has been interesting. I�ve
heard some say that the Scouts don�t need to be defended because
they are strong enough. Many would argue that ignoring the opposition
is the best thing for the Scouts. Perhaps that would be true in
a small-scale conflict, but those who lead the drive against the
Scouts have proven their capacity for a dangerous perversion of
morality when, in a hundred other scenarios they�ve struck deepest
when decent Americans chose not to fight back. They didn�t fight
back because they weren�t looking in the first place.

Now, America - now is a time
to turn our sullen eyes on Philadelphia. Now is the time to awaken
to the awful stench that arises from the moral relativism condoned
by Boy Scout Councils in Boston and San Francisco. Now is the time
to fight back and defend the Boy Scouts from further damage.

As an Eagle Scout and an assistant
Scoutmaster, I cannot couch myself in the dark chamber of apathy
as my organization is taken over by special interests whose political
agenda contributes to a breakdown of character and the family. The
Boy Scouts have the God-given right to establish standards for membership,
and those standards have been highly respected for over 90 years.
Citizens across America have the God-given obligation to see to
it that the Boy Scout Oath and Law are upheld for another 90 years.

Hans Zeiger, 18, is an Eagle
Scout and an outspoken advocate on behalf of Scouting with the Scout
Honor Coalition. He is a Seattle Times columnist and chairman of
Washington Young Americans for Freedom. He may be contacted at hanszeiger@yahoo.com.

Hans Zeiger, 18, is an Eagle Scout and an outspoken
advocate on behalf of Scouting with the Scout Honor Coalition. He is a Seattle
Times columnist and chairman of Washington Young Americans for Freedom.
He may be contacted at hanszeiger@yahoo.com.

"To the vast majority
of Americans who understand the importance of Scouting in every community
across the nation, preserving the traditional moral code of Scouting is
a no-brainer. It is time for families in Philadelphia to show that they
oppose the leadership of their local council by leaving the organization."

Editors Note:

18 year old Hans Zeiger has the
insight and courage to stand up for morals; where are the pastors and
the fathers, who's responsibility is to protect the children?